County lines up behind 'Heritage Communities'

Several community leaders, public officials and business representatives have been meeting in recent months to develop strategies for supporting "heritage tourism" in Potter County.

Volunteers serving on that Stakeholders Committee gathered for the third time Tuesday night at the Potter County Education Council headquarters.

The heritage tourism concept -- geared toward attracting visitors through an emphasis on local history and interesting cultural and natural attractions -- has worked well in dozens of U.S. communities.

Locally, the plan has been gaining momentum due to support by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and the Pa. Rt. 6 Heritage Corp.

At Tuesday's meeting, members reviewed results of work groups that met in September at Ski Denton. Among the needs identified were:

. county leadership committed to heritage tourism;

. zoning/ordinances to protect communities, natural beauty and the dark skies;

. downtown revitalization and support of local businesses;

. more arts and culture;

. a one-stop county visitor center.

An extensive discussion took place on the potential impact of the proposed wind farm in the Ulysses area on heritage tourism efforts.

David Brooks, executive director of the Potter County Visitors Assn., chaired the meeting, which was attended by about 20 residents from Galeton, Coudersport, Austin, Ulysses, Genesee and Shinglehouse.

"Our major goal is to enhance the tourist experience while, at the same time, improving residents' quality of life," Brooks said. "That's why residents of the affected communities need to be driving it. We need to identify what's great about Potter County and how we can keep it that way. Doing so will allow us to avoid a situation like that experienced in the Poconos."

Terri Dennison, executive director of the Route 6 Heritage Corp., stressed that the program must be grassroots driven, so the stakeholders' group is vital.

Next meeting of the Heritage Communities Stakeholders will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the Potter County Education Council office in Coudersport. Anyone interested in helping to shape the county's future by serving as a stakeholder is welcome. Among agenda items will be a wide-scale plan to conduct historic and streetscape inventories of local heritage communities.